TRENTON, NJ - New Jersey now has America’s strongest addiction recovery reform program following the signing by Gov. Chris Christie of Senate bill S-3/A-3, a bi-partisan measure which requires health insurance coverage for treatment of substance abuse disease as well as providing a maximum limit of five days on initial opioid prescriptions, which often become a gateway to addiction.

In addition, in a week since the state started an ad campaign about its addiction assistance programs, calls to 1-844-REACHNJ are up 50 percent.

According to Pew, four out of five new heroin addicts start with prescription opioid drugs. Most states allow opioid prescriptions to last seven days or many states significantly longer, New Jersey will now lead the way in that regard, Christie said.

"When a person who is in the throes of addiction, as you know, realizes he or she needs help, they should not be blocked at the treatment center doors with their life hanging in the balance, because their insurance carrier requires a pre-evaluation that could take weeks to complete. Now, with this legislation, people seeking treatment cannot be denied access in their time of need," he said.

Christie said that there was a 22 percent increase between 2014-2015 in drug overdose deaths with a 30 percent increase in heroin deaths over the previous year and triple the number of deaths caused by fentanyl.

"That's 1,600 lives lost in 2015 alone," he said. "That’s four times the number of people who were murdered in New Jersey in 2015, and three times the number of people who died in an automobile accident."

No one now under this legislation will be turned away from treatment for insurance reasons, if licensed provider prescribes substance abuse disorder treatment. Insurance coverage for treatment of substance abuse disorder will be required and any waiting period that could derail a person’s recovery is eliminated by this bill.

People diagnosed with a substance abuse disease will have covered treatment for 180 days, starting the day they need it, including long-term out-patient treatment with no interference from their carrier, making New Jersey the only state in the nation in which people with insurance cannot be retroactively charged for six months of necessary addiction treatment.

The Office of Attorney General is tasked with monitoring the system to prevent waste, fraud or abuse, and to ensure providers are not improperly treating patients or filling beds that could be used by those who are truly in need of treatment. A five-day limit on initial opioid prescriptions will be imposed, lowered from 30 days, which is the current law.

"This is not going to impact cancer and hospice patients or residents of long-term care facilities, that was carefully opted out of the bill by the legislature with my consent," Christie added.

In addition, a requirement that physicians inform patients about the potential dangers of opioid use before issuing the prescription is now law in the State of New Jersey. And ensuring that physicians who prescribe opioids take continuing education courses on the issue as part of their licensure requirements.

1-844-REACHNJ

"It’s not that people don’t need help, it’s that they don’t know where to go for help," Christie said. "And they’re kind of scared to ask for help, and sometimes embarrassed to ask for help. And the more I can go out there and put the face of the leader of this state in front of them saying, ‘Don’t wait, don’t suffer, pick up the phone and start to get help today.’

Addiction is not a moral failing, Christie said. It is a disease and the more that we talk about it as a disease, treat it as a disease, regulated it as a disease the more people will finally get the idea that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but it is in fact a sign of strength.

"It will send a signal to parents that asking for help for your child is not a sign that you’re a bad parent, but a good one. It will show husbands and wives across the state that being married to someone with the disease of addiction is not a failure by you as a spouse, but to ignore that problem is a failure. We need to understand that this is the only way we are going to change this problem across our state and hopefully across our nation."

MONTVILLE, NJ - The Alliance of Private Special Education Schools of Northern New Jersey, a group of more than 30 state-approved private special education schools in northern and central New Jersey, has opened scholarship applications for graduating high school students with disabilities.

The scholarships are designed to empower, recognize and reward graduates with special needs. Students with ...

The Northern New Jersey Council of the Boy Scout of America’s Fourth Annual Prepared for Life, Friends of Scouting Dinner will feature NASA space mission commander and American hero Captain Mark Kelly.

The event will be held on April 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Venetian in Garfield, 546 River Dr. The event starts with a reception hour at 6 p.m.

TOTOWA, NJ - The Totowa Public Library, located at 537 Totowa Rd., is now hosting Weight Watchers meetings on Saturday mornings.

The new program, Weight Watchers Freestyle, allows you to follow a meal plan that fits your lifestyle. You can now enjoy more of the foods you love with less tracking. Weigh in time is 8:15 a.m. and meetings start at 8:30 a.m. The enrollment ...

LITTLE FALLS, NJ - The Passaic County Office of Solid Waste & Recycling Programs will be holding its next Confidential Document Shredding & Recycling Program at the Little Falls Municipal Complex, 225 Main Street, Little Falls, on Saturday, March 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine.

This program is free of charge to Passaic County residents who may bring up to six ...

Both of these friendly, sweet and playful boys arrived from Puerto Rico with quite different tales of hardship. Tyson, a 4 year-old Border Collie/Great Pyrenees mix, has lived most of his life on the end of a chain and is just beginning to experience all of the good things in life. Reggie, a 6 month-old Hound mix, and his two sisters were discovered living in a cave by a tourist walking ...

PRINCETON, NJ — March is Red Cross Month and the American Red Cross is asking people across New Jersey to become a hero by giving blood, becoming a volunteer or making a donation to #help1family on Giving Day – March 28.

“The Red Cross is powered by our volunteer heroes who give of their time, talents and compassion to fulfill our vital ...

LITTLE FALLS, NJ - Little Falls School No. 1 will present a production of "Into the Woods Jr." Show dates will be Wednesday, March 21 at 7 p.m.; Thursday, March 22 at 7 p.m. and Friday, March 23 at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Performances will be at School No. 1, 32 Stevens Ave., Little Falls.